Extension frame to adapt a normal drilling bucket for carrying out deep drilling



Oct. 7, 1969 G. L. GUINOT 3,470,973

CARRYING OUT DEEP DRILLING Filed Oct. 6, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A O i 0&I

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NVEN OB GABkEL L.GuNoT ATTO/ZNEYS Oct. 7, 1969 G. L. GUINOT 3,470,973

^. r V *EXTENSION FRAME TO ADAPT A NORMAL DRILLING BUCKET FOR I 4CARRYING OUT DEEP DRILLING Filed Oct. e. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O i 4 g j--85 i r/a 7617 '7a 7717 /vvszvrae GABREL L. GuNoT 4 Tfa a/VE VS UnitedStates Patent O Int. c. Eni 7/00, 41/00 US. Cl. 175-238 Claims ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE An extension frame enabling a normal drilling bucketto be expanded for deep drilling Operations. The frame having an. upperbarrel and a fork attached to one end thereof, a hooking element for thebucket being provided at the center of the fork, an arm spreader onwhich the bucket shells are articulated being pivotally connected byconnecting means to the ends of the arms.

This invention relates to earth working machines, such as mechanicalexcavators, of the type having an earth working implement, hereinafterreferred to as a bucket, mounted on the end of a pivoted jib or arm forcarrying out earth working or excavating Operations.

The object of the present invention is to provide means for extendingthe length of the pivoted jib or arm to permit deep earth working orexcavating and with this object in view the invention consists of anextension piece for insertion between the jib or arm and an excavatingbucket assembly of an earth working machine to permit deep earth workingin which the bucket comprises two halves pivotally mounted on aspreader, said extension piece comprisng at one end means for connectingit to the coupling part of a jib or arm to which the excavating bucketassembly is normally connected, and at its other end a fork-shapedportion having means between the prongs of the fork portion forconnecting the excavating bucket assembly to said extension piece andmeans at the ends of the prongs of the fork portion for connection withthe spreader of the excavating bucket.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, oneparticular cmbodinent thereof will now be described, by way of examplewith reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is part sectional view of a known form of bucket assembly usedon mechanical excavations,

FIGURE 2 is a part sectional side elevation showing an extension pieceaccording to the invention with a bucket assembly attached thereto, and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on the line III- HI of FIGURE 2, with partsremoved for the sake of clarity.

Referring now to FIGURE 1,- the bucket assembly of an earth workingmachine or mechanical excavator for which the present invention isparticularly intended, comprises two half buckets or shells 1 eachpivotally mounted at 2 on a spreader 3 connected to the lower end of apiston member 4 slidable in a hydraulic cylnder to which the buckethalves or shells 1 are connected by connecting rods as shown, the pistonmember 4 being provided at its upper end with means 5 for attaching itto the pivoted jib or arm of a mechanical earth working machine. Thebucket assembly is known per se and needs no further description.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, the extension piece according to theinvention, indicated generally at 6, comprises an upper cylindricalshaped part 7 provided at its upper end with a coupling part 7a, similarto that normally provided at the upper end of the piston of a bucketassembly, for connecting said extension piece to the pivoted arm or jib(not shown) of a mechanical excavator or other earth working machine inthe same manner that a bucket assembly is normally attached thereto. Thepart 7 may also be provided as shown with a known form of rotary joint 9for permitting angular displacement of the bucket assembly and throughwhich hydraulic fluid can be supplied to the hydraulic cylnder forOperating the bucket. The part 7 of the extension piece may also beprovided with protecting fenders 10 as shown. If desired, additionalremovable extension pieces of difierent lengths may be fitted betweenthe rotary joint 9 and the part 7 of the extension piece to vary thelength of the latter as desired.

The part 7 is provided at its lower end with a rigid fixed plate 11 towhich is attached a lower hollow forkshaped portion 8. Integral with thefixed plate 11 are two downwardly projecting lugs 12 to which the pistonrod 4 of the bucket assembly is connected by a pin 14 passing said lugsand through a hole in the end of the piston rod 4, i.e., in the samemanner as the bucket assembly is normally attached directly to the armor jib of the earth working machine or excavator. In order to facilitateattachment of the piston rod 4 to the lugs 12 of the extension piece,openings may be provided in the fork-shaped portion as shown at 13.

As will be apparent from the drawings, the prongs Sa and %b of thetork-shaped portion 8 are situated on two opposite sides of the bucketassembly and the plane containing the axes 15 of said prongs 8a and 8bis substan tially perpendicular to the plane containing the axes ofsymmetry of the halves or shells 1 of the bucket and also substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the pin 14.

Each of the prongs tia and 8b of the fork-shaped portion 8 is providedat its lower end with a spigot 1611, 1612 parallel to the axis of theextension piece 6 which engage slidably in holes formed in ear pieces17a, 1717 provided on opposite sides of the spreader 3. By this meansthe bucket assembly is held accurately centered relative to thefork-shaped portion 8 and the part 7 but permits a degree of axialmovement of the bucket assembly when the piston rod 4 of said assemblyis being connected to or disconnected from the lugs 12 by pin 14.

It will be understood from the foregoing that with the extension pieceaccording to the invention the length of the jib or arm of a mechanicalexcavator or earth working machine can be extended for permitting deepearth working without any modification of the jib or arm or of thebucket assembly being necessary and this extension of the length of thejib or arm can be carried out quickly and easily since all that isnecessary is to remove the bucket assembly from the jib or arm, attachthe extension piece thereto and then attach the bucket assembly to theextension piece. Furthermore, the Construction of the extension pieceand the means tor connecting the bucket assembly thereto provides arigid assembly capable of withstanding the strong forces to which it issubjected in operation..

I claim:

1. An extension piece for insertion between the jib and an excavatingbucket assembly of an earth working machine to permit deep earth workingin which the bucket comprises two halves pivotally mounted on aspreader, said extension piece comprising at one end means forconnecting it to the coupling part of a jib to which the excavatingbucket is normally connected, and at its other end a fork-shaped portionhaving means between the prongs of the fork portion for connecting theexcavating bucket to said extension piece and means at the ends of theprongs of the fork portion for connection with the spreader of theexcavating bucket.

2. An extension piece according to claim 1, wherein the prongs of thefork portion are Situated on opposite sides of the bucket assembly andthe plane containing the axes of said prongs is substantiallyperpendicula' to the plane containing the axes of symmetry of the buckethalves.

3. An extension piece according to claim 1, wherein the prongs of thefork portion are situated on opposite sides of the bucket assembly andthe plane containing the axes of said prongs is substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of symmetry of the bucket halves, and whereinthe bucket assernbly is connected to the extension piece by a pinpassing through a part of said bucket assembly and lugs on saidextension piece, the axis of said pin being substantally perpendicularto the plane containing the axes of said prongs.

4. An extension piece according to claim 1, wherein the means forconnecting the ends of the prongs of the fork portion to the spreadercomprise spigots on the ends of said prongs Which engage slidably inholes formed in ears provided on said spreader.

5. An extension piece according to claim 1, wherein the prongs of thefork portion are Situated on opposite sides of the bucket assembly andthe plane containing axes of said prongs is substantially perpendicularto the plane containing the axes of symmet'y of the bucket halves; thebucket assembly is connected to the extension piece by a pin passingthrough a part of said bucket assenbly and lugs on said extension piece,the axis of said pin being substantally perpendicular to the planecontaining the axes of said prongs, and wherein the means for connectingthe ends of the prongs of the fork portion to the spreader comprisespigots on the ends of said prongs which engage slidably in holes formedin ears provided on said spreader.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,474,707 11/1923 Crowl 175-238 X1,730,704 10/1929 Wild 175-238 X 2,645,458 7/1953 Yost 175-238 X2,879,974 3/1959 Jourdain 175-238 3,194,329 7/1965 Wallers 175--238 XCHARLES E. O CONNELL, Primary Examiner RICHARD E. FAVREAU, AssistantExaminer

